UK NHS and Vietnamese private medicare system
25 November 2008We just found out we are going to have a baby 1 day before depart to Vietnam. It might not be a good idea to flight during the first trimester but well, we will not be able to go for at least 2 years 
so we decide to go ahead. During 1 month staying in Hanoi, we had a chance to witness the most catastrophic rain for the last 24 years and it is quite an experience. However, that is not as important as the fact that we get to see the baby for the first time by having a check up in a private clinic. Right after coming back to UK, we went to NHS to do a follow up and yesterday we complete the 2nd visit to the maternity hospital. It is quite interesting to see how the different systems in 2 countries work.
Initially, Thao got a free Medicare card enabling her to visit Hanoi Medicare Centre (Yet Kieu St) to get check up and she were allowed to spend up to 450.000VND (~£15). Sound good right! But that is about good as it gets. We went to the clinic the next day, reading so many good things advertised (computerized system, no waiting time, etc.). The reality is that there is no computer and we had to waited for about 1.5 hour until Thao were called. After 5 minute in the room with a few of generic questions such as "how are you", "how do you feel", she was asked to completed a ultrasound and blood test. The fee was already 350.000VND, which is extortionate! We went to get the ultrasound but there is only one machine and 25 people waiting. No more waiting, we just skip the whole thing and go straight home. What a waste of time and money! Most of the people we met in this centre swore they will never come back and we completely agreed with them.
The next day we went to a private clinic near the Swidish Children hospital to do the check up and it is a complete 180 degree change. There was almost no waiting time, Thao got to have a 4D Color Ultrasound scan right away and all the blood and urine tests were completed in just 20 minutes. This was where we first had a view of our baby, even though he/she looks like a peanut 
very small but lively. And the whole check up cost me just 250.000VND and we were given a free pregnancy magazine. Very reasonable price and excellent quality.
Now back to UK, we phone our GP clinic and was scheduled a meeting with a GP after 5 days. The meeting was quite short and no test or scan was scheduled. Instead, the GP asked us to collect a pregnancy pack at the front desk and schedule another meeting with the community midwife after 2 weeks! When we got back to the front desk, there were no pregnancy pack available and I had to come back after 3 days to get it.
"Fortunately", we do not have to wait for 2 weeks for the next appointment. The midwife (very nice lady) phoned us the next day to ask if we could come to visit her on Monday for a check up. Surely we said yes and thus, we went there yesterday. Again, there were no scan and no test. All we did was filling a couple of forms, handing her the urine sample and that is. We were promised that a ultrasound scan will happen within 2 week and we will receive a letter telling us when (strangely, no phone though). Moreover, we will need to go to the clinic to do a bloodtest on another day, which is quite inconvenient since there will be a lot of time consumed! The bad news about all of this is that we will not be told the sex of the baby (due to the reason that the hospital want to avoid any unnecessary sueing!) and she told me we could know it if we to spend £100 in a private clinic! Very strange, how should we prepare for a baby if we dont know if we will have a boy or a girl???
So, 4 and counting appointments and at least 8 hours including travelling and waiting to get the scan and tests which we did in Hanoi in about 2 hours in total. Yes, it is free here in UK but it is not that expensive in Hanoi and moreover, we can have a DVD with our baby video and we will for sure be told if a boy or a girl is to be expected. Well, we will see how it go then.
That is it from me this time, back to work
November 26th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Oh anh Duong, rat nhieu tai lieu viet rang ko nen scan nhieu lan trong qua trinh mang bau; dac biet la voi scan 3D 4D thi ko nen dung doi voi thai nhi duoi 3 thang. Thuc te trong toan bo qua trinh mang thai chi can scan 3D hay 4D 1 lan vao thoi ky khoang 18 (hoac 16 em ko nho)-20 tuan de phat hien di tat thoi. Sieu am ko phai la hoan toan tot, no dung de phat hien va chan doan suc khoe cua ba me va em be chu*\’ ko phai de bo me xem con minh vay vung trong bung
Du bo me nao cung thich xem ca 
Ma sieu am chi can 2 chieu la bac si gioi co the du* bao chinh xac roi. NOi chung ma\’y chi la mot phan thoi, con nguoi - tai nang cua bac si do.c ket qua - van la quan trong nhat.
Em thay o cac nuoc phat trien rat van minh o cong doan do. O Uc cung vay, ho ko sieu am nhieu; va khi nao can sieu am; nham muc dich de lam gi thi ho deu noi cho minh biet ca. Con o Vn thi anh cu du*a tien la nguoi ta lam thoi; mac du sometimes em cung nghe mot so bac si noi la ko nen lam vao thoi diem nay, thoi diem kia; nhu*ng do\’ la do bac si la nguoi nha em thoi
Tuy nhien o Uc thi ho noi cho minh biet con trai hay con gai, hi hi
November 26th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Chuc mung anh Duong va chi Thao nhe.
November 27th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Chúc mừng Thúc Duong nhé. Cũng mới chuyển nhà à?
ps: vứt vả để post cái comment quá
December 1st, 2008 at 10:01 am
Congrats, bro!